Who Should Make Decisions? A High School Wrestles With Tracking

Abstract

This case concerns conflict over decision-making in a high school. It highlights major differences of opinion regarding the purposes of schooling and the democratic ideals of education. Vocal parents and some teachers are at odds over course offerings that maintain tracking, assigning students to particular courses of study based on their abilities and career goals. Parents want a separate honors track for their children. Members of the faculty have been influential in moving the school toward greater heterogeneity, and they have set up a process for decision-making regarding change that assures they have a voice in matters of curriculum and instruction. The school's principal is caught in the middle, trying to keep parents happy while honoring the principles of shared leadership with the faculty. This case demonstrates the tension between the needs of individual students or group of students and the aim of the school to best fulfill the learning needs of all students. It focuses on the democratic underpinnings of American education: how do you balance the input of all stakeholders when making decisions about school practice and policy?